MEDIA REACTION ON IRAN

UNCLAS AMMAN 009582 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN USAID/ANE/MEA LONDON FOR TSOU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR JO SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON IRAN Summary -- Lead story in all papers today, December 12, focuses on domestic issues, including parliamentary deliberations on a variety of draft laws and King Abdullah's visit to and activities in China. Another lead story carries reports about preparations leading to the December 15 Iraqi elections. Editorial Commentary -- "Moving Israel to Europe" Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back-page of semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (12/12): "It seems that the previous remarks by Iranian President Ahmadi Najad about wiping Israel off the map were not a slip of the tongue to be taken back in face of the international cry in favor Israel. The proof of this is the fact that the Iranian President raised the issue once again during the meetings of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Mecca, where he proposed that Europeans, particularly Germany and Austria, would allocate a part of their own countries to establish a state for the Jews to ease their consciences. After all, compensation and therapy are required from those who committed the alleged massacres and not from the Palestinian people who have nothing to do with what happened to the Jews at the hands of Hitler and his goons.. Najad's remarks, in themselves, are not going to wipe Israel off the map and are not going to move it to Europe. The significance of these remarks lies in the fact that they stress the concept that the existence of Israel, as a foreign body in the Middle East, is still questionable and not inevitable and final." -- "With Najad but." Daily columnist Rakan Majali writes on the back-page of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour (12/11): "Even if we accept it as reality, the truth remains that the liberation of Palestine is the highest principle for all the Arabs and Muslims. This emotional talk, however, is one thing and politics is another. While all the forces in the world cannot rip out from the hearts of Muslims their attachment to Palestine, voicing these feelings as a political stand is considered taboo, not just by Israel, but also by America, the west and all the world. Indeed, the majority of us have come to accept, explicitly and implicitly, Israel's presence and role. The occasion for this is Iranian President Najad's remarks. His words tickle our feelings and his slogans speak to us, but, unfortunately, they are slogans without content, wishes without horizons and a speech with no credit and no ability to turn it into action." HALE